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Covers That Shine

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How much time do you spend coming up with clever covers for your scrapbook? Many times the cover design is an afterthought, especially for me. Often, I am so focused on crafting memorable layouts that I completely overlook the importance of an attractive cover.

Recently, though, I have been putting more effort into beautifying my album covers. Of course, this only happened because I saw a display table at my local scrapbook store covered with incredibly innovative scrapbook covers.

The owner of the store set out five different memory albums, each featuring a journaling list cover. Whereas I have drafted many journaling lists in my life, I’ve never considered placing them on the cover of my scrapbook. Yet, after seeing how neatly the owner’s books were designed and how effectively the lists were able to convey the album’s contents, I was willing to give it a try.

So far, I’ve created the following: Top 11 Events of 2011, 10 Things I Love About You (a Mother’s Day gift for my mom); Favorite Places to Visit in Hawaii; and The ABCs of Me (a book dedicated to my young daughter). If you have a creative streak, then list covers are a great way to let loose with unique formatting and eye-popping embellishments. For example, instead of using computer generated bullet points, you might consider using decorative brads. Another idea is to replace people’s names with small photos of them. I’ve also carried the replacement technique to the text of the lists by creating a ransom note effect using stickers and flocking powder for some of the letters instead of plain ink.

If you are in need of inspiration for a unique cover, turn to the radio for ideas. One of the albums featured on the display table at my local scrapbooking shop included a cover page with song lyrics. Remember, there are no hard and fast rules that dictate how you must decorate a particular project. There are a host of different approaches you can take when designing a cover. As long as you are happy with the end result, that’s all that matters.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin.
Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.